C.

TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRICAL
ENERGY
INTRODUCTION

So far, we have discussed the use of electricity in the home, simple circuits, and the
generation of electricity. Th e transmission of electricity from plant to home could in principle be
accomplished by the use of simple conducting wires of copper or aluminum, much like those we
use in the home.
TRANSFORMERS: VOLTAGE CHANGERS

In many cases, we know that a transmission efficiency of only 59%. In practice, most
transmission lines lose only 10% of the generated power as heat.
Such extreme losses can be avoided by increasing the voltage at which the electricity is
transmitted.
(Another way is to eliminate the resistance of the line with the use of superconducting wires.)
To change or transform voltage to a higher or lower value, a transformer is used. The
principle of its operation is a corollary to Faraday’s law of induction.
 Two coils of wire are connected by an iron yoke. A
change in the current in the fi rst coil (or primary) causes a
voltage to be induced in the second coil (or secondary). Th
e voltage generated across the ends of the secondary coil
depends on the ratio of the numbers of turns in the coils. If
there were two turns of wire in the primary coil and two
turns in the secondary, then the voltage induced in the
secondary coil would be the same as the voltage across the
primary leads.

However, if there were twice as many turns in the

secondary as the primary, then the voltage induced in the
secondary would be twice the primary voltage. We have
“stepped-up” the incoming voltage with this transformer. To
“step-down” the voltage, the opposite arrangement is
made, with the number of the coils in the secondary being
less than the number in the primary loop.
 Power in = Power out
Because, P = VI, this expression can be
written as;
Vin x Iin = Vout x Iout
ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS OF HIGH -
VOLTAGE LINES

The biological effect of EMFs from power lines has become a

controversial issue in recent years, with large differences of opinions
among scientists. In 1979, N. Wertheimer and colleagues studied the
correlation between childhood mortality records and the proximity
to high-voltage power lines in the Denver area. They proposed a
correlation between long-term exposure to weak EMFs and increases
in cancer. Critics pointed out that actualfield measurements were not
taken in the homes, and the study was not “blind”—the researchers
knew which homes were those of cancer victims. A study by David
Savitz several years later eliminated both of these problems and
found a modest statistical correlation between children with cancer
and the proximity of their homes to high-voltage power lines.
However, there seemed to be no correlation between the magnitude
of the magnetic field and cancer.
 The weak EMFs near power lines do not have the
energy themselves to initiate cancer because cancer is
usually caused by energetic radiation breaking or
rearranging DNA bonds. One hypothesis on the
possible biological effects of EMFs suggests that when
fields interact with a cell, they initiate a chemical change
on its surface, possibly disrupting the flow of ions
through the cell membrane. Inside the cell, a sequence
of chemical reactions is triggered that distorts the
normal flow of biological information and may result in a
cell whose growth is out of control.

Many studies have been conducted over the past two decades in this area.
Whereas there is uncertainty in some of the findings, there has been a failure to
substantiate or reproduce those studies that have reported adverse health
effects from exposure to EMFs or even conclude that a cause and effect
relationship exists. Unfortunately, policy options in a climate of scientific
uncertainty pervade this issue. The American Physical Society (APS) issued a
statement in 1995 on power line fields that said, “the scientific literature and the
reports of reviews by other panels show no consistent, significant link between
cancer and power line fields.”
ALTERNATIVES TO TRANSMISSION LINES

Electrical transmission lines are

the most expensive method for
transporting energy. Coal by barge
or rail and natural gas by pipeline
are much cheaper.

One potential solution to energy losses from

heating is the use of superconducting cables.
Superconductors, at low enough
temperatures, lose their resistance (R = 0
ohms), so no energy is lost as heat.